“What? I was waiting for Kay to come.”

The woman, with a rather regretful tone, glared sulkily at Sun Jin who was forcefully resisting, pushing back while gripping her gun barrel.

“Well, I guess you’ll have to do.”

– You’re fine too.

The woman smiled brightly and crossed her arms, grabbing Sun Jin’s shoulders and throwing her backwards.

As if anticipating this, Sun Jin bent her knees and swung the chair the woman had been sitting on.

With a cracking sound, the chair broke pathetically and struck the woman’s head, but it didn’t seem to have much impact.

Na Eun slowly backed away to avoid the clash between the two superhumans, which her eyes could not follow at all.

Moreover, it was her first time seeing Sun Jin fight so desperately up close, and she was almost dumbfounded.

The two figures that seemed to be entangled quickly separated and attacked each other while sweeping through the interior of the hall, leaving scratches on the building walls here and there as a result.

The sound of impacts, hard to believe were from humans colliding, echoed all around.

As Sun Jin raised one hand and bent her fingers, surrounding objects began to swirl in the air as if obeying a command.

The woman frowned, wrinkling her nose with a displeased expression.

“Ugh, I hate this.”

“Just die already.”

“I don’t like that either. The world is such a nice place to live in.”

Despite Sun Jin’s weary tone, the woman just kept giggling as if something was so amusing.

Eventually, all sorts of tables and statues began to crash down on the woman, and as she cleared them away while giggling, she retreated with a light movement.

“I have to go now. Next time, tell Kay to come for sure-! Tell him I’m waiting eagerly!”

“Die.”

“How cold.”

The woman, who had been flirting in a completely unwelcome manner, left with a leap as if she hadn’t been trying to kill moments ago. Suddenly, only Na Eun and Sun Jin remained in the now devastated interior.

“Sun Jin…”

In the silence that suddenly fell after the woman disappeared, Na Eun cautiously called out to her friend who was standing with her back turned, protecting her.

“…Let’s go.”

Sun Jin reached out her hand without meeting Na Eun’s eyes.

She gently lifted Na Eun, who had collapsed with her strength drained, but there was no time to be amazed at Sun Jin.

Na Eun’s face turned pale as she saw blood pouring from Sun Jin’s lower abdomen.

“Sun Jin, that…”

“It’s nothing.”

I don’t know much, but how can it be nothing when blood is gushing from below your abdomen like that?

Suddenly, Na Eun remembered that Sun Jin had been resting at home due to a leg injury.

Instinctively looking down, she saw Sun Jin’s strangely limping gait. Na Eun felt like fainting.

“Why… why did you come when you’re hurt…”

Even though you’re in so much pain. There must be other heroes besides you, so why did you come?

Despite having almost died if not for Sun Jin just moments ago, her ungrateful tongue moves like this again.

Facing the tearful Na Eun, Sun Jin pulled down her hat and said,

“…The times we can move are different each time. The number of people assigned also varies.”

Don’t worry. We heal from things like this in a few days.

At school, she would make a fuss even over the slightest pain, but now she’s so composed even with an injury that could be fatal.

Na Eun’s lips trembled as she put Sun Jin’s arm over her shoulder.

Seeing Sun Jin’s questioning gaze, Na Eun whimpered.

“Your leg hurts, doesn’t it?”

I’ll support you. At those words, Sun Jin smiled a bit incredulously, then nodded.

“Alright then.”

Sun Jin headed for the nearest elevator.

When Na Eun hesitated and asked, “Is it okay to use this?”, she replied, “It’s okay with me. But if something like this happens when you’re alone, always use the stairs. Got it?”

Having just witnessed Sun Jin manipulate objects in the air like subordinates right before her eyes, Na Eun didn’t argue further and quietly entered the elevator.

Silence hung in the elevator as it descended a bit faster than normal speed.

Na Eun didn’t know what words to say to Sun Jin.

They had spent so much time together even without Seung Joo that awkwardness shouldn’t exist between them, but strangely, no words came easily now.

After some time passed like this, Sun Jin spoke.

“I’m sorry.”

“…Huh?”

Na Eun’s eyes widened at Sun Jin’s unexpected words.

“You must have been really scared.”

Na Eun looked up at Sun Jin for the first time today, wondering if this could really be sincere.

Although Sun Jin’s face was tightly wrapped in a mask and hat, the emotion in her eyes as she looked down at Na Eun was clearly readable.

After recognizing it as genuine remorse, Na Eun exclaimed in shock.

“Why are you apologizing?”

I should be thanking you.

“…”

Sun Jin didn’t answer that question.

And through the elevator that had arrived, the exit leading out of the hotel came into view. Outside the hotel was even more chaotic.

Fire trucks and police cars were mixed together, and reporters from all sorts of broadcasting stations were bustling about, competing to break the news about the new terror incident.

“Na Eun!”

As soon as they left the hotel, Na Eun turned her head at the familiar voice calling her name.

The tears that had stopped momentarily welled up again.

“Mom, Dad!”

Na Eun’s parents, who had been pacing anxiously outside the hotel fearing something might have happened to their daughter, ran over and embraced her.

Thank you, thank you…

While expressing endless gratitude for their daughter’s safety, Soo Hyun scolded Na Eun.

“Where on earth did you go!”

“I’m sorry, I was trying to find you and Dad…”

“Your mom and I were rescued first. By that young man over there!”

You should have looked after yourself first in this situation, why did you do such an unnecessary thing, she was scolded.

Even as her mom was getting angry, Na Eun unconsciously raised her gaze.

Her eyes met with someone dressed all in black from head to toe, who was helping a person down from the second floor of the building.

She could tell without wanting to. The “young man” her mom mentioned was that man.

‘Are only your parents here?’

‘How selfish.’

Recalling that sneering mockery, Na Eun exhaled dejectedly.

“Please, my daughter is over there!”

“Save her, please. She’s the bride who was supposed to get married today-!”

Na Eun saw Sun Jin in the distance, clutching her stomach where blood was dripping.

Gripping her shoulders were an elderly couple who had been the wedding hosts today, pleading desperately.

Na Eun’s lips trembled.

“…We confirmed the body inside.”

This was the only way to clearly convey that rescue was meaningless.

As Sun Jin spoke softly, the attitude of the couple who had been begging for help just moments ago changed.

“…Really?”

“That can’t be… Are you sure you checked properly?”

After repeatedly denying the fact they had been told several times, they finally shouted.

“Go back in and check again!”

“That can’t be… Aren’t you just saying that because you’re too lazy to save her now?!”

The bride’s father looked like he was about to grab Sun Jin by the collar.

Na Eun was startled and hurriedly tried to approach, but Sun Jin, who had been silently bowing her head, stopped her with a glance.

“I’m sorry.”

Facing the two wedding hosts who had finally burst into tears, unable to accept reality, Sun Jin muttered an apology as if it were a prepared greeting.

“…I’m sorry.”

The news always praises heroes.

On the internet, people never spare praise and respect for the real-life heroes.

Hee Won, who had approached without notice, grabbed Sun Jin’s shoulder as she bowed her head silently apologizing, and led her away.

It seemed to mean they should withdraw now.

Behind them followed the sound of wailing filled with resentment.

Sun Jin hunched her shoulders as if it were all her fault, while Hee Won hurried their steps with an irritated attitude, as if tired of it all.

Na Eun stared blankly at Sun Jin’s retreating back.

The shining hero receiving everyone’s praise that she had always imagined from afar,

was not here right now.

“There will be no going home right after the final exams end. Regular classes will continue until 5 PM, so keep that in mind.”

The classroom erupted with students’ complaints at the teacher’s shocking announcement.

While worried about the final exams starting tomorrow, the kids’ hopes of enjoying a sweet break after the exams for the first time in a while were shattered in an instant.

The homeroom teacher glared at the kids whining that this was ridiculous and child abuse.

“Quiet down. You’ve all seen the news, right? These days, don’t wander outside at all and just stay at home or school.”

The sudden decision to hold regular classes during the final exam period seemed to be a result of the Seoul hotel bombing incident a few days ago.

The kids argued that if that was the reason, wouldn’t it be safer to stay at home, but they couldn’t refute when the teacher dismissed them saying, “As if you’d really stay at home after the exams are over.”

As the homeroom meeting ended and students started packing up to go home, Seung Joo in the front seat turned around and called out to Na Eun.

“Na Eun, want to get malatang?”

At Seung Joo’s suggestion to buy malatang on the way to academy after school, Na Eun hesitated for a moment and glanced at the seat next to her.

Sun Jin, who was removing her hair rollers from her bangs, stared back at her and asked.

“What?”

“Are you coming too?”

“Of course. Have you ever seen me miss out on malatang?”

At her tone implying it was an obvious question, Na Eun hesitated and said.

“…But you’re not feeling well…”

The day after that incident, Sun Jin came to school as if nothing had happened.

Na Eun was shocked, remembering the injuries that seemed to require at least a month of hospitalization, but Sun Jin remained nonchalant.

She said it was because repeating hospitalizations and absences after such incidents would make it easy for others to discover her identity.

Na Eun couldn’t bring herself to smile back at Sun Jin and Seung Joo who laughed, saying they only let their guard down around her, but normally disguise themselves thoroughly.

“Then at least skip the academy. I’ll explain for you.”

Sun Jin shook her head with a sigh at Na Eun’s worried words.

“No thanks. If I miss again this time, I’ll really be dead to the math teacher.”

As a rule, it’s easier to skip academy than school.

Seung Joo and Sun Jin, who were absent as regularly as they ate, had long been branded as persons of interest among the academy teachers.

Many teachers clicked their tongues at Na Eun, who was diligent enough to be compared to the two, saying “Why are you friends with them?”

Of course, they only said that, and despite scolding them every time they were absent, the teachers’ affection in giving make-up lessons faithfully meant neither Sun Jin nor Seung Joo disliked the academy.

“It’s the college entrance exam soon. We need to study.”

Words that would be so natural for an ordinary Korean high school senior now sounded completely unnatural.

“Is studying important right now?”

When Na Eun finally couldn’t hold back and blurted this out, both Seung Joo and Sun Jin who were packing up froze.

Seung Joo opened her mouth with an expression of having heard something she shouldn’t have.

“Sun Jin, did you hear that? What Na Eun just said.”

“Yeah. I think I’ve lived too long.”

Na Eun glared at Sun Jin who was muttering as if she had lived a full life, saying she never thought she’d hear Na Eun say studying wasn’t important.

“Stop joking around. You’re hurt. Should you be studying to the point of damaging your body?”

“You’re really shameless. You say that, but didn’t you end up in the ER from chugging caffeine?”

Na Eun lowered her head at Seung Joo’s scolding, remembering when she was rushed to the emergency room after drinking three high-caffeine drinks a day during exam period in her second year.

Thinking of the worry she received from her parents and others around her then, she had no words even now. It was also the first time Jae Kyung got seriously angry after they started dating.

Seeing Na Eun bow her head, unable to say more, Sun Jin said,

“Don’t worry. We’re much tougher than you think.”

“Even if you’re tough, it doesn’t mean you don’t get hurt.”

“…”